It was a close run thing – but David Cameron’s arrival in 10 Downing Street came just in the nick of time for his local newspaper last night.

As the Witney Gazette’s Tuesday afternoon print deadline approached, it looked like the Newsquest-owned weekly would miss out on the big story.

But with events moving thick and fast yesterday evening following Gordon Brown’s resignation, the printing time was put back to midnight.

And this morning, the Gazette was finally able to carry one of the biggest stories in its history – Witney’s MP becoming Prime Minister.

It was second time lucky for the Gazette whose staff had worked through the night to bring out a special election edition of the paper last Friday in anticipation of Mr Cameron entering No 10 that day.

But it was not to be as the inconclusive election result left Mr Cameron’s destiny hanging in the balance.

As yesterday’s deadline approached, it looked at one staged as if they would miss out again.

However as Mr Cameron entered Downing Street at 8.45pm editor Derek Holmes and deputy David Duffy were back in the office redrawing the front page of the Gazette and two inside pages to bring the news to Gazette readers.

Said Derek: “Everyone pulled out all the stops to bring our readers one of the biggest stories we have ever had in Witney. ”

“We have have been expecting this story for the last few years and there was no way we were going to miss out on it.”

Comments

Scoop (12/05/2010 11:26:32)
Well done to the Whitney Gazzette for getting the story, so many weeklys would have just waited until the next edition.
Hopefully Cameron won’t forget the paper now he’s PM.

Hungy Horrace (12/05/2010 17:18:52)
The Sunday Lunch looks great too. Eye catching ad.

Sign of the Times (13/05/2010 09:17:06)
It really took three reporters just to put that short piece of copy together? No underworked staff at the Witney Gazette then.